Cost of Living Comparison Between South Africa and Guinea Cost of Living Comparison Between South Africa and Guinea

Name: Guinea
Address: GN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,020 in South Africa versus $800 in Guinea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,598 in South Africa versus $1,316 in Guinea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,175 in South Africa versus $1,832 in Guinea.

Living in South Africa is roughly 28% more expensive than Guinea on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: South Africa 24% lower, Guinea 40% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in Guinea: monthly costs span $206 to $1,394, compared to $819–$1,339 in South Africa. City choice carries more weight in Guinea.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.05 R 147

$6.39 GNF 55.8K

41.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.48 R 642

$31.47 GNF 274.8K

25.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.94 R 80.3

$10.70 GNF 93.4K

-53.83%

Cappuccino

$2.06 R 33.47

$3.38 GNF 29.5K

-39.05%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 R 15.40

$1.59 GNF 13.9K

-40.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 R 13.13

$1.17 GNF 10.2K

-30.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 R 35.90

$2.56 GNF 22.4K

-13.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 R 40.33

$4.03 GNF 35.2K

-38.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 R 18.07

$2.13 GNF 18.6K

-47.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 R 16.64

$1.55 GNF 13.5K

-34.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.28

$1.51 GNF 13.2K

3.31%

Eggs

$2.34 R 38.05

$2.86 GNF 25.0K

-18.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.73 R 126

$18.57 GNF 162.2K

-58.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.49 R 73.1

$6.30 GNF 55.0K

-28.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.73 R 109

$9.98 GNF 87.1K

-32.57%

Apples (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.40

$2.43 GNF 21.2K

-35.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 R 23.22

$2.46 GNF 21.5K

-41.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 R 23.48

$2.50 GNF 21.8K

-42.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 R 24.55

$2.62 GNF 22.9K

-42.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 R 19.81

$1.94 GNF 17.0K

-37.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 R 20.74

$1.86 GNF 16.2K

-31.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 R 16.89

$1.07 GNF 9,330

-2.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 R 15.21

$1.11 GNF 9,681

-15.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 R 48.55

$1.13 GNF 9,884

164.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.16 R 83.8

$11.04 GNF 96.4K

-53.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.55

$1.60 GNF 14.0K

-13.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 R 26.93

$1.71 GNF 14.9K

-2.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.63 R 26.48

$1.40 GNF 12.2K

16.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.05 R 732

$28.98 GNF 253.0K

55.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.13 R 18.41

$1.52 GNF 13.3K

-25.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 R 17.93

$0.89 GNF 7,778

23.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.86 R 78.9

$39.71 GNF 346.8K

-87.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 R 20.15

$1.36 GNF 11.9K

-8.82%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$20.3K R 330.2K

$25.5K GNF 222.4M

-20.23%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$23.5K R 381.4K

$23.3K GNF 203.9M

0.51%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$113 R 1,843

$172 GNF 1.5M

-34.01%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$32.36 R 526

$75.9 GNF 662.9K

-57.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.45 R 674

$185 GNF 1.6M

-77.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.59 R 513

$87.9 GNF 767.7K

-64.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.61 R 156

$28.56 GNF 249.4K

-66.35%

Cinema Ticket

$6.83 R 111

$4.08 GNF 35.6K

67.40%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$187 R 3,039

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,362 R 70.9K

$6,679 GNF 58.3M

-34.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.50 R 804

$20.29 GNF 177.2K

143.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.42 R 494

$24.83 GNF 216.8K

22.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.7 R 1,489

$29.90 GNF 261.1K

206.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 R 1,281

$49.85 GNF 435.3K

58.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$442 R 7,175

$630 GNF 5.5M

-29.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$367 R 5,963

$315 GNF 2.7M

16.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$884 R 14.4K

$1,855 GNF 16.2M

-52.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 R 11.8K

$1,006 GNF 8.8M

-28.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,090 R 17.7K

$107 GNF 933.5K

919.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$780 R 12.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,558 R 25.3K

$2,361 GNF 20.6M

-34.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

9.45

22.22%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for South Africa: May 31, 2026

Last update for Guinea: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $368 in South Africa, $314 in Guinea. Capital cities: $765 in Cape Town vs $629 in Conakry.

National salary averages: $1,520 in South Africa, $1,832 in Guinea. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 17% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 13% more in South Africa.

Salaries are 21% higher in Guinea, giving Guinea stronger purchasing power.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

South Africa vs Guinea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $800 per month in Guinea and $1,079 in South Africa, there's a 35% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Guinea is simply cheaper day-to-day: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in South Africa beats Guinea across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Guinea, $1,500 covers most cities easily. In South Africa, it works in regional areas but falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after. Guinea wins on affordability; South Africa may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.